One of Philippe Leray's inventions has helped make it possible for high-speed trains to roll along the rails at up to 400 kilometers per hour. Leray, a French engineer, has improved the retensioners that keep the overhead conductors of railroad tracks taut. As a result, the conductors continue to operate reliably at high train speeds. The improved design of the retensioners also ensures that if a conductor breaks the retensioner will remain undamaged. Railroad operation can therefore quickly be resumed. Leray, who moved to Germany directly after his graduation, works in the Infrastructure & Cities Sector in Erlangen.